This invention relates to filter cigarettes. More particularly, this invention relates to filter cigarettes which are adjustable to vary one or more characteristics of the cigarette.
It is known to provide filter cigarettes which have rotatable elements associated with their filters for varying characteristics of the cigarette such as filtration, resistance-to-draw, air dilution, and amount of added flavorant. For example, commonly-assigned U.S Pat. No. 4,532,943, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, shows a filter cigarette in which the filter is divided into a mouth-end segment and a rod-end segment which are axially connected for relative rotation. In one embodiment, tipping paper attached to one segment overlies but is not attached to the other segment. This overlying portion of tipping paper has an opening which overlies a corresponding opening in the plug wrap of the other, overlain segment. As the two segments rotate relative to one another, the two openings move into and out of registry, varying the air dilution value of the cigarette. In other embodiments, the relative rotation of the filter segments ruptures a flavorant capsule to release flavorant, or moves longitudinal bores in the segments into and out of registry, varying the resistance-to-draw of the cigarette.
Copending, commonly-assigned application Ser. No. 853,049, filed concurrently herewith, shows a filter cigarette in which the wrapped filter plug is slidable in a sleeve of tipping paper attached to the cigarette rod, or in which the wrapped filter plug is mounted in a sleeve which is slidable on the cigarette rod. Cooperating bands affixed to the sleeve and the filter plug in the former case, or to the sleeve and the cigarette rod in the latter case, prevent the removal of the filter plug from the cigarette. This arrangement can be used simply to allow a smoker to vary the length of the cigarette, or in combination with openings that move in and out of registry to vary the air dilution value of the cigarette, or in combination with encapsulated favorants to vary the amount of added flavorant in the cigarette.
Other cigarettes of this type--in which elements move either rotationally or axially to control characteristics of the cigarette--are known. In some of these cigarettes, particularly some of those of the rotational type, the physical construction of the rotatable element is such that it can be rotated continuously. A smoker therefore cannot determine the degree of adjustment of the cigarette without looking at the indicia which are usually printed on the cigarette. In other adjustable cigarettes of the rotational type, and all adjustable cigarettes of the axially translating type, the physical construction limits the movement of the adjustable element to a particular range. However, a smoker still cannot determine where within the range the cigarette is adjusted without looking at the visual indicia.
A smoker may desire to adjust the cigarette without having to look at it. In particular, because mass-produced cigarettes all come from the pack in the same state of adjustment, a smoker may know from experience that the cigarette has to be adjusted a particular amount in one direction or another to suit the smoker's individual preference. It therefore would be desirable to provide an adjustable cigarette having a tactile indicator of the degree of adjustment.